Pompeii, Capri & Bay of Naples

Pompeii, Capri & Bay of Naples

Tour of the ancient Roman town of Herculaneum brought to life by a local guide, with entrance fees included

Full day guided tour of Pompeii and Naples Archaeological Museum – including entrance fees

Full day tour of the astonishing Amalfi coast incorporating visits to Positano and Ravello, plus a full day visit to the stunning island of Capri

Short orientation walking tour of Sorrento

Escorted by our experienced tour manager

Seven nights in a choice of conveniently located accommodation rated three to four-star superior, including all local taxes, with breakfast and dinner

Return travel from a selection of regional airports and transfers to and from your hotel

Dates and Prices 2018

Tour Overview

Day 1

Arrive in Sorrento

You should arrive at the airport to take your flight to Naples from your selected airport.
On arrival a coach takes us to Sorrento, a lovely base for our holiday. You have a choice of carefully selected hotels, all well managed and of a very good quality within their category with good restaurants where we dine. The rest of the day will be spent at leisure, allowing you time to settle into the hotel and start exploring Sorrento if you wish.

Day 2

Walking Tour of Sorrento

Sorrento has been a resort for centuries and has developed with great style, so today we have a rather lazy day commencing with a short walking tour. The Romans were aware of Sorrento’s attributes and the area is dotted with the remains of their opulent villas. During the 18th century it became part of the Grand Tour for Europe’s aristocracy with classic hotels being built around the old cliff-top town. Today, spared the excesses of modern development, Sorrento is delightful and so typical of the south of Italy. Tiny winding streets lined with tall, seemingly crumbling buildings complete with their faded façades of ochre, yellow and magenta are now home to superb shops and cosy restaurants. The stylish young astride their Vespas are everywhere, and on every bench sit splendidly turned out senior citizens, superbly dressed no matter how hot the weather – all having time to pass a few words in the street.

Day 3

Naples & Pompeii

Today, we take the drive north around the bay to the cosmopolitan city of Naples where we have a guided tour of the Archaeological Museum which is one of the finest of its kind. When the excavations commenced in nearby Pompeii and Herculaneum, the best of the finds were brought here and displayed to an eager public. There is a very extensive display of remarkably preserved mosaics giving a superb insight into the way of life and even sense of humour of the ordinary Roman. Other sections include murals, figures, fine pottery, ropes and even preserved food. One of the central displays is of some of the largest classical sculpture ever found and the museum as a whole complements your visit to Pompeii admirably.
We all know the story of Pompeii, however, it is more than a series of ruins: the state of preservation is astonishing and even if you are not interested in history you cannot fail to be moved by the scale of the city, the construction of which appears to put our modern structures to shame, especially when you consider machines were unavailable. Much of our knowledge about the way of life of the ordinary Romans, their habits, social structure, class systems and domestic arrangements has come from here. Some of the baths are virtually complete as are various murals and mosaics, with some buildings having graffiti describing political events, romantic entanglements and gossip of the time! You can even see the traffic calming measures, how the one-way system operated and appreciate the very high standard of living evident in Roman Pompeii. The atmosphere is eerie, as preserved for all time are the pained facial expressions of the victims of Vesuvius. We will have a guided tour of this fascinating city, before returning to our hotel.

Day 4

Free Day

Today you have a free day in Sorrento to spend as you wish. You could take a boat trip, shop in the high-class boutiques, have a lazy lunch or simply catch up on some reading – the choice is yours..

Day 5

Capri

Capri is renowned the world over for its outstanding natural beauty and today we take the short boat ride to the island. It has long been the most sought-after part of the Bay of Naples: not only attracting three Roman emperors, but also writers such as D.H. Lawrence and George Bernard Shaw who sought inspiration here. Famous names such as Gracie Fields and Graham Greene, amongst many others, have made it their home. It is easy to see why it is so adored: as we approach the island you can see small fishing boats rising and falling with the gentle waves, with pretty shops and restaurants lining the busy quayside.
The picturesque main town is perched on the hill looking down on the quaint harbour below. You may wish to visit the famous Blue Grotto – the large cavern which can only be reached by boat and by a freak of nature is bathed in incandescent blue light, hence its name. Yes, Capri really does deserve its reputation as a Garden of Eden. We then take the boat to the mainland and return to our hotel.

Day 6

Herculaneum

This morning we visit Herculaneum, known locally as Ercolano, located in the shadow of the mighty Mount Vesuvius. This ancient Roman town was destroyed in AD 79 by the famous eruption of Mount Vesuvius, one of the most catastrophic volcanic eruptions in European history. Very much like Pompeii, the town of Herculaneum was buried under volcanic mud and ash, which smothered everything from household objects to metals and textiles, sealing it all in an airtight tomb, until excavation of the site commenced in 1738 using underground tunnels which revealed the hidden secrets of this fascinating place. Our local guide will bring the history of the town to life and as you walk amongst this fantastically preserved UNESCO World Heritage Site, you will have an understanding of the vast amount of volcanic waste that had to be excavated and the enormity of the task to uncover what we can see today. Herculaneum is less well known than Pompeii, but the state of preservation of the buildings is generally far superior so it’s most certainly worth the visit.

Day 7

The Amalfi Coast

When you see it, we think you will agree the Amalfi coastline is, as it claims to be, Europe’s most beautiful. Today we explore the coast as it winds around towering cliffs, dipping almost sheer to the beautiful blue sea below with birds soaring above and the air heavy with the typically Mediterranean scent of pine forest and wild flowers. We arrive above the exclusive resort of Positano clinging pyramid-like to the cliff-face, giving a view, which has inspired countless artists and today is the haunt of even more numerous celebrities. Next it’s Amalfi, a picturesque village in a gorgeous setting, possessing charm in abundance and perhaps the highlight of the coast.
Just inland is the stunning village of Ravello, with its unrivalled location perched like an eagle’s nest on a shelf above Amalfi, affording some amazing views. It has an ambience of its own and a wonderful main square surrounded by delightful small cafés and the Villa Rufolo – once the headquarters of a city-state, now a charming collection of medieval buildings, statues, tasteful walled gardens and the setting for Wagner’s opera Parsifal.

Day 8

Return Flight

We return to Naples airport at the appropriate time for our flight home after a memorable and unique escorted holiday.

Price Includes

The price of this holiday is per person and is based on two people sharing a twin room. Single and sea facing rooms are subject to availability at the relevant supplement. The price includes return flights as indicated, seven nights with breakfast and dinner, airport departure taxes and transfers, all local accommodation taxes and all tours as mentioned and the services of a Riviera tour manager. Please note that the Mediterraneo Hotel is on a bed and breakfast basis.

Included excursions are: guided tours of Pompeii, Naples Archaeological Museum and Sorrento, guided tour of and entrance to Herculaneum, and a cruise to Capri. Please note that occasionally the opening times of the places of interest vary, and if this happens we may change the order of visits, however, the overall content will not be reduced.

Where hotels feature a swimming pool, pools are open in the summer months – weather permitting. There will be a charge for swimming pool towels of €2 per towel per day at the Vue D’Or, Villa Maria, and the La Badia Hotels.